Information Density: Helix Water District – Signal Evidence & AI Readability

[H2] Welcome

We are a not-for-profit, public water system serving San Diego's East County suburbs.

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[H4] Our administration office will open at 9:15 a.m. on May 28

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[H4] Where does our water come from?

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[H4] Thank you for joining us at Water Talks

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[H4] Be one of 10 winners of the 2026 InvoiceCloud Sweepstakes

[H3] Water Service

[H3] Construction

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[H1] Calendar

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[H3] May 2026

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[H4] Sat, May 30

Water District Wave-In Day

Rain Barrels and Beyond: How to Harvest Rainwater for Your Home and Garden With Rodney Feddema

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[H1] Highlights

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[H1] News Flash

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Thank you for joining as at Water Talks

This past Saturday, we had the pleasure of welcoming nearly 80 community members to our R.M. Levy Water Treatment Plant for another Water Talks tour. We want to thank everyone who attended.From the moment the tour began, this group was engaged and genuinely curious about the work that goes into delivering reliable drinking water to our community every day. We appreciated the opportunity to connect with customers, answer questions and share a behind-the-scenes look at the people and processes behind your tap.At Helix Water District, opportunities to connect directly with customers are important to us. Water Talks allows us to share information, answer questions and hear directly from the people we serve. We value the conversations that take place during these tours and appreciate the feedback, questions and perspectives customers bring to the discussion.These events also give customers the opportunity to meet some of the employees who work behind the scenes every day to help keep water flowing safely and reliably throughout our community. We are proud of the work our team does and appreciate the chance to share more about the services our customers depend on every day.Thank you again to everyone who spent part of their Saturday with us and helped make the event such a success. If you were unable to attend this tour, additional Water Talks events and facility tours are planned for the future. We encourage you to stay connected and watch for upcoming opportunities to learn more about your water system and the work happening behind the scenes.Helix Water District's General Manager, Brian Olney (left), giving a tour of the R.M. Levy Water Treatment Plant.

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Helix Water District celebrates National Public Works Week

May 17–23, 2026 / Rooted in Service, Powered by CommunityAt Helix Water District, we’re proud to celebrate National Public Works Week and honor the dedicated professionals who make safe, reliable water possible each time you turn on the tap.This year’s theme, “Rooted in Service, Powered by Community,” reflects the heart of what employees in public works, like Helix Water District, do every day:Rooted in Service: We’re driven by a shared mission to deliver high-quality water and exceptional public service. From maintaining infrastructure to improving efficiency and planning for the future, our work is focused on what matters most, serving our customers today and for generations to come.Powered by Community: For more than 100 years, we’ve proudly served East County San Diego. That commitment is shared by all our employees, many of whom live in the communities we serve. Together, our public works professionals support public health, daily life and the well-being of neighbors, friends, family and all customers.This National Public Works Week, we thank all who serve in public works. Your work matters, and it makes a difference each day.

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Association of California Water Agencies Presents 2026 Clair A. Hill Award to Helix Water District

The Association of California Water Agencies presented the Clair A. Hill Agency Award for Excellence to Helix Water District for transforming its operations center in San Diego’s East County suburbs into one of California’s most advanced electric fleet charging hubs.ACWA is a statewide coalition of 470 public water agencies that, together, are responsible for 90% of the water delivered to California’s cities, farms and businesses. The Clair A. Hill Agency Award for Excellence recognizes ACWA member agencies for exemplary programs that creatively and successfully address water industry issues, commitment to water use efficiency and conservation, and excellence in agency management and operations.Designed to meet state vehicle emission mandates and maintain 24/7 emergency readiness, Helix Water District’s charging infrastructure project is a model for public‑sector fleet electrification across California. The $11 million project, funded almost entirely by grants, features 87 high‑capacity chargers and nearly six megawatts of power.The project positions Helix as one of the first public agencies in California to fully build out charging infrastructure in response to the California Air Resources Board’s Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation. The regulation requires local and state public agencies to replace medium- and heavy-duty trucks and equipment with zero-emission models. By 2030, all new vehicle purchases must be zero emissions.While the regulation mandates fleet conversion, it does not provide funding for the necessary charging infrastructure.“When we evaluated the regulation, we discovered that finding available vehicles wasn’t the only challenge — the infrastructure was, too,” said Helix Water District Board President Kathleen Coates Hedberg. “We had to protect our water rates and the 279,000 people we serve while figuring out how to comply.” Collaboration Reduced CostsHelix decided its best option was to be the first local agency in California to build charging infrastructure and reach out to stakeholders — the government agencies responsible for clean air in California and the companies with the expertise to build charging infrastructure.The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District, San Diego Gas & Electric and the California Energy Commission provided more than $10.2 million in grants and rebates, ensuring the project would have minimal impact on water rates. The grant funding enabled Helix to build the full charging system upfront, which is less expensive than a phased approach. Additional savings will come from shared use of the charging system by neighboring cities and public agencies, with software automatically tracking, allocating and recovering costs. Helix also expects to see continued cost savings from a zero-emission fleet. “The data from our current fleet show that fuel costs for an electric vehicle are one-fifth the fuel costs of a gas or diesel vehicle,” said Helix Water District Director of Operations Kevin Miller. The Charging Infrastructure is Designed for 24/7 OperationsHelix operates a fleet of 100 light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, from Toyota Priuses, Ford F-150s, F-750 pickups and platforms, international crew cabs, 3-axle dump trucks, backhoes and skip loaders.The charging infrastructure is designed and engineered around four core operational requirements common to many public agencies:24/7 emergency response — Helix responds 24/7 to water main breaks, natural disasters and mutual aid requests. Every class of vehicle must be charged and ready at all hours.Power take-offs — Charging and batteries must support power take-offs, which convert a truck engine’s power to drive external tools like pumps, winches and pneumatic tools.No additional vehicles — Helix stipulated that it would not add vehicles or staff to compensate for vehicle charging times.Limited charging during peak hours — Helix reduces operation costs by prioritizing pumping water in off-peak hours when electricity rates are lower. It applied the same rule to vehicle charging.The infrastructure includes 87 chargers, from 40 to 640 kilowatts, manufactured by Heliox Energy and Autel Energy. Most are installed overhead, which allowed crews to build the new infrastructure without interrupting daily operations. Overhead chargers and conduit also minimize trenching and construction costs and build flexibility into daily operations and parking.The 5.9-megawatt system has the capacity to power 3,000 to 5,000 homes. Autel’s 640-kilowatt MaxiCharger can recharge medium- and heavy-duty trucks in an hour. BetterFleet software recognizes each vehicle and optimizes charging.“The software will prioritize which vehicle to charge first and when it is most cost-effective to do so based on time-of-use electricity rates. It adapts to a dynamic schedule,” said Miller.A Blueprint for Statewide AdoptionThe collaborative approach that worked well for Helix — seeking partners, outside funding and sharing its charging infrastructure with neighboring agencies — is a roadmap for other public agencies planning their own compliance with CARB’s Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation. The design and construction of the district’s charging infrastructure also provide insights for reducing construction costs and building a user-friendly system employees will embrace.“We’re not just meeting the mandate,” said Miller. “We’re helping define how public‑sector electrification can be done statewide.”Pictured from left: Helix Water District Directors Dan McMillan and Andrea Beth Damsky with the Clair A. Hill Award.

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Be one of 10 winners of the 2026 InvoiceCloud Sweepstakes

Helix customers have a chance to win one of 10 $50 Visa gift cards by entering the 2026 InvoiceCloud Sweepstakes! Entering the sweepstakes is easy. Simply enroll in autopay or paperless billing by August 31, 2026, and you’ll be automatically entered to win.To create an online account, go to the top right of this page and click on Login to Register, and follow the prompts. The sweepstakes is funded by InvoiceCloud, our online payment processor.If you’ve already enrolled in paperless billing or autopay, you’re automatically entered in the sweepstakes.See the official rules: 2026 InvoiceCloud Sweepstakes (PDF).No purchase or payment necessary. Void where prohibited.

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Where does our water come from?

In a region known for sunshine more than rainfall, water doesn’t come easy. San Diego County has an arid Mediterranean climate, limited natural groundwater and few local water sources. That’s why, to meet the needs of 3.3 million residents, the region depends heavily on imported supplies and is developing new local water sources to meet our needs for generations to come. Let’s dive into the second stop in our Water 101 series – where our water comes from.San Diego is known for its sunshine, mild seasons and outdoor lifestyle. It’s part of what makes living here so special. But behind those blue skies hides a reality most people overlook: sunshine doesn’t fill reservoirs. With limited local groundwater and few naturally occurring water sources, our region can’t rely on rainfall alone. In fact, to keep our communities, businesses and homes running, we must import water to supply nearly 90% of the people who live here.How we import water:California has built a vast network of dams and reservoirs along with thousands of miles of canals and aqueducts to move water from rivers to where it is needed.Water from Northern California travels through the California State Water Project’s aqueducts and canals to Lake Perris, just north of Temecula. Water from the Colorado River travels out of the river at Lake Havasu and through the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s Colorado River Aqueduct. MWD, which is Southern California’s largest water wholesaler, purchases water from both the State Water Project and the Colorado River. MWD then distributes it to its 26 member agencies, which includes the San Diego County Water Authority.Learn more about how MWD brings water to Southern California through the Colorado River Aqueduct and the California State Water Project.MWD brings water to the northern edge of San Diego County, but not all the way. For this reason, Helix and other San Diego water utilities formed the San Diego County Water Authority, to secure, purchase and distribute imported water to our region. SDCWA provides water to its 22 member agencies serving 3.3 million residents countywide.Over the past three decades, SDCWA has taken major steps to diversify San Diego County’s water supply and reduce reliance on any single source. This includes long-term water transfer agreements with Imperial Irrigation District, continued purchases from MWD, and investments such as the Carlsbad Desalination Plant to ensure we have water supplies for generations to come.Learn more about San Diego County Water Authority’s Water Supply.Helix Water District is one of SDCWA’s member agencies. We purchase water from SDCWA and treat it at our R.M. Levy Water Treatment Plant in Lakeside for our customers and neighboring agencies Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Lakeside Water District and Otay Water District’s northern service area. Once treated, we deliver it to 279,000 residents in El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove and unincorporated areas of the county, including Spring Valley and Lakeside.At Helix, we rely on a combination of imported water and local water. Our two main reservoirs are Lake Cuyamaca near Julian and Lake Jennings in Lakeside. Because the elevation of Lake Cuyamaca is over 4,600 feet, it receives much more precipitation than San Diego.  We also have water storage rights at the City of San Diego’s El Capitan reservoir. These reservoirs allow us to capture precious water runoff on the few days we get rain. Even so, in fiscal years 2024 and 2025, local supplies only accounted for about 30% of the water we needed to serve our customers. We purchased the remainder from SDCWA.This reality is exactly why we continue to improve and ensure water reliability for generations to come. By investing in water conservation, advancing potable reuse projects and protecting our current local water storage, we continue to prepare beyond the next storm or drought cycle. These efforts ensure that when our community turns on the tap now and decades from now, clean, reliable water is there.

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Helix Water District – How we fit into our area’s water landscape

Ever wonder what it takes to get clean, reliable water from the source all the way to your tap? In this behind-the-scenes look, we’ll introduce you to Helix Water District and how we fit into East County’s bigger water picture. It’s the first stop in our Water 101 series—stick with us to see how it all flows together.Helix Water District is a local not-for-profit government agency that provides drinking water to 279,000 residents in East County San Diego. We are governed by a five-member board elected by you – those that live in the communities we serve.Helix was formed over 100 years ago by residents and was tasked with the job of bringing water to our east county communities. Our district is one of the largest water districts in San Diego County and provides potable water, also known as drinking water. We cover 50 square miles of East County and serve the communities of La Mesa, Lemon Grove, El Cajon and unincorporated portions of the county including Spring Valley, the Mt. Helix area and parts of Lakeside.At Helix, our water is a blend of mostly purchased and a small amount of local water during wet years. We buy water from our wholesale water provider, San Diego County Water Authority, and treat it at our R.M. Levy Water Treatment Plant, located in Lakeside. Then, we distribute the treated water through our 25 storage tanks and 7

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